England rejects power Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire 182 for 5 (Patel 56) beat Lancashire 149 (Clark 44, Mullaney 4-46) by 33 runs
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A trio of discarded England batsmen saw Nottinghamshire to victory in their opening match of the NatWest T20 Blast at Trent Bridge.

James Taylor, Michael Lumb and Samit Patel - none of whom were included in the England limited-overs squads named earlier this week - thrashed 125 between them from only 84 balls to take the Nottinghamshire total out of reach of a Lancashire side that look painfully thin in terms of their batting.

If Patel, who made a 39-ball half-century, went on to record the highest score of the game, it was Taylor who most impressed. At one stage he hit James Anderson for three successive fours, before clipping Kabir Ali over midwicket for six. It was another reminder of his range of stroke and his power. Aged 24, and with a career T20 batting average of 35.16 and a List A average of 50.76, you would have thought he was exactly the sort of player the England selectors were looking towards for the future.

Indeed, Taylor could be forgiven for wondering what more he has to do. While he has spent the last few days giving positive interviews to every news outlet that was interested about the attraction of this competition, he has seen Michael Carberry, almost 10 years older and with an inferior record in all three formats of the game, recalled to the squad after delivering a scathing and not entirely accurate assessment on the team management.

Patel might wonder what more he has to do, too. Blessed with marvellous hand-eye coordination, he put away anything less than yorker length with power and skill in recording the 15th half-century of his T20 career. He later delivered four overs of gentle but well controlled left-arm spin, claiming his 100th T20 wicket in the process.

That Patel was not unbeaten was due to an outstanding boundary catch from Steven Croft in the final over of the Nottinghamshire innings. It appeared as if Patel had repeated the stroke of the previous ball - a six over long-on - but Croft produced a superb leap and held on to a catch that will have to be a contender for the best of the season.

By then the damage was done, though. Lumb and Taylor had added 54 in four overs, Patel and Riki Wessels a further 53 in 5.5 and, by the time Patel and Chris Read added another 39 in 24 balls, Nottinghamshire were out of reach.

Perhaps, had James Anderson bowled his full allocation of overs, Lancashire might have restricted Nottinghamshire to a more manageable total. The reason given by Lancashire for the seemingly odd decision was that they felt Wayne White was bowling better than Anderson.

Lancashire never threatened to get close to their target. While Jos Buttler, of whom a miracle is expected almost every time he bats, produced a few sparkling strokes - a scoop to fine-leg off his second delivery, a reverse sweep of remarkable power and a thrash over long-on - too much was required of him.

Jordan Clark, a 23-year-old with a large reputation in second XI cricket which included six sixes in an over last season, also hit the ball unusually cleanly in making 44 from 20 balls, but by then it was a question of how large the margin would be. Clark, who would be one of those players most at risk of losing his place should Andrew Flintoff make a comeback, was yorked by the impressive Andy Carter.

Almost the only fault Nottinghamshire made all evening was Taylor dropping a simple catch offered by Tom Smith at mid-on. But Alex Hales, earlier undone by a sharp short ball from Anderson, picked up the rebound and saw that Smith was run out with a fine, strong throw.

This was close to a perfect opening evening for the re-launch of the competition. On a fine pitch for this format, spectators were treated to fours and sixes, brilliant catches and hopeless drops, a couple of amusing run-outs and enough warmth to allow a crowd of 10,971 to sit in relative comfort until past 9pm. That is only just short a record for a group game on this ground and, after a home win and an entertaining evening, there is a good chance many will return.

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Styris still has what it takes

Leicestershire 197 for 4 (Styris 63, Cobb 38) beat Derbyshire 170 for 7 (North 90, Buck 3-26) by 27 runs
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Leicestershire made a winning start to their NatWest T20 Blast campaign on Friday as a half-century from Scott Styris helped them to a 27-run victory over Derbyshire at Grace Road.

The three-time winners, inserted by their opponents, recovered from the early loss of Niall O'Brien to post 197 for 4 in their 20 overs.

Styris was the star of the show, with an unbeaten knock of 63 off 31 balls that included seven fours and three sixes, while there were also important contributions from captain Josh Cobb (38), Greg Smith (35) and Ned Eckersley (33).

Marcus North then starred for Derbyshire posting 90 off 47 balls, in which he struck consecutive sixes three times and also hit six fours, but it was not enough as the visitors ended up on 170 for 7.

Things had begun in concerning fashion for Leicestershire, just the second ball of the match seeing Niall O'Brien go for a golden duck, caught by Tim Groenewald off Mark Footitt.

But after that, they soon got into their stride as Cobb - who struck three sixes - and Smith produced a fine array of shots to put on a second-wicket stand of 69.

Cobb then fell victim to Wes Durston, stumped by Gareth Cross but the Foxes continued to make decent progress before Smith looped a Chesney Hughes delivery to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

It was at that point that Styris entered the fray and he lost his partner in the 16th over, Eckersley caught at mid-off by Durston off the bowling of Jonathan Clare.

Styris and Tom Wells (13 not out) then saw out the remaining overs unscathed.

It was not long before Derbyshire's reply was in trouble, Nathan Buck making the breakthrough in the third over by sending Hughes' (seven) middle stump cartwheeling.

Buck soon had his second wicket as O'Brien caught Stephen Moore (24) and Chanderpaul was gone for a duck in the following over, bowled by Anthony Ireland.

Derbyshire then stabilised a little, North and Durston (28) putting on 70 for the fourth wicket, before the latter was dismissed by a superb one-handed diving catch by Cobb off Buck, who finished with 3 for 26.

Cross (two) was then caught on the boundary by Rob Taylor off Jigar Naik, but North kept going and appeared set for a possible one-man rescue job until he was bowled by Ireland in the 18th over with Derbyshire on 153.

Groenewald was subsequently run out by Cobb in the final over as Leicestershire saw out the win.

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Glamorgan break their Hampshire duck

Glamorgan 161 for 7 (Rudolph 34, Wallace 33, Briggs 3-26) beat Hampshire 151 for 6 (Coles 42, Owen 3-32) by 10 runs
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Glamorgan claimed their first ever T20 win at the Ageas Bowl as they beat Hampshire by 10 runs in their NatWest T20 Blast opener.

The visitors posted 161 for 7 with several batsmen getting starts but Will Owen returned figures three for 32 in the reply as Glamorgan restricted their well-fancied hosts to 151 for 6.

Hampshire won the toss and put Glamorgan in to bat with Jim Allenby hitting the first ball of the campaign behind square for a four.

Jacques Rudolph then dispatched Matt Coles for three consecutive boundaries before Hampshire turned to the spin of Danny Briggs and the decision brought quick results as Allenby was stumped by Michael Bates for 15.

The combination of Briggs and Bates produced results again as Rudolph was stumped for 34 off 21 balls and Mark Wallace was next to go for 33 as Liam Dawson took an impressive catch off Will Smith on the midwicket boundary.

Six balls later Murray Goodwin was gone for 14 with the veteran caught by Kyle Abbott off the bowling of Dawson and Ben Wright followed for eight as Dawson took a second catch of the night off Coles.

Jimmy Adams caught Chris Cooke at long-on as Briggs took his third wicket and Ruaidhri Smith had his leg stump removed by Coles for just 2 in the final over.

Michael Carberry, called up to the England limited-overs squads earlier in the week, was first to go in reply with Owen bowling the opener for 4. Adams was then caught by Cooke as Owen got his second wicket and Carberry was soon back on the field as a runner for Dawson, who had a leg injury.

Dawson soon retired hurt bringing Sean Ervine to the crease but skipper James Vince was next to fall, stumped by Wallace off Andrew Salter for 38. Coles then began to clear the rope as Hampshire pushed on, leaving themselves needing 51 off the last five overs.

Ervine cracked three consecutive boundaries but was bowled by Owen and when Smith was run out, the writing was on the wall with Coles bowled by Graham Wagg with the penultimate ball.

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Arafat pulls off last-ball win

Sussex 172 for 8 (Wright 56, Hamilton-Brown 30) beat Surrey 171 for 7 (Roy 57, Wilson 50, Zaidi 3-32) by two wickets
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Yasir Arafat was signed by Sussex for the third time to bring his considerable T20 experience to an attack that struggled last season. But his first dividend came in the form an unlikely cameo with the bat that saw him strike the last two balls for four to secure a breathless two-wicket victory for his side.

Sussex needed 16 off the last over and it all seemed to be going to plan for Surrey when Jade Dernbach conceded a single off the first delivery and then had Chris Jordan caught in the deep.

But Ben Brown sliced the third ball high over the extra-cover boundary for six then took a single and left the rest to Arafat. His first ball perfectly dissected the two boundary runners on the off side and the final delivery whizzed past Gary Wilson's despairing dive off a thick edge and down the slope to the third-man rope.

Sussex covet wins over their oldest rivals more than most so the celebrations that followed, as his team-mates ran from the dug out to engulf Arafat, were perhaps understandable.

On a two-paced pitch Surrey must have felt their score of 171 for 7 was defendable. But both attacks struggled for control at times. This was their first competitive run out with the white ball and at times the quicker bowlers in particular looked rusty while Dernbach's struggles at the end revived painful memories of his woes during the T20 World Cup.

Jason Roy (57 off 43 balls) and Gary Wilson (50 off 39) played well after they had got the measure of the conditions before Azhar Mahmood provided acceleration in that uncomplicated way of his at the end with 23 from 12 deliveries. For Sussex, Ashar Zaidi - whose most recent experience of this format was midweek hit and giggle for Accrington last summer - recovered from a poor first over to take 3 for 32 as bowlers who took the pace off prospered.

Matt Prior revealed earlier that he hopes to make his comeback in the Championship game against Middlesex on May 26, although he said it was too early in his recovery from an Achilles injury to say if he will be able to keep wicket as well.

In his absence Sussex are heavily reliant on Luke Wright's uncomplicated hitting and when he and Rory Hamilton-Brown added 55 in 38 balls for the third wicket they were in control. But debutant Tom Curran surprised Wright (56 off 31) with a change of pace before Kevin O'Brien picked up two wickets off successive balls in the 14th over to put Surrey in charge.

The hosts were further inconvenienced when Chris Nash needed a runner after hurting his hamstring but the mood of the crowd improved when, just as they had done in the first innings, umpires Ian Gould and Steve O'Shaughnessy penalised the fielding team with six runs for a slow over rate. Still, Dernbach would have fancied himself to defend 16 off the last over.

By the end the crowd had come to life but on the night T20 was re-launched amidst mch hype there was the sense at Hove that very little had changed.

On a warm late-Spring evening Sussex would have been disappointed had they not attracted the 5,000 who turned up. The ground was pleasantly full and the bars were doing a steady trade but apart from bursts of flames from on top of the scoreboard every time a boundary was scored it didn't feel much like a brave new beginning for a format which has always been popular in Sussex.

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MCA accepts conditions in bid to regain IPL final

The Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) managing committee has decided to adhere to all the conditions put in place by the IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal, in a follow-up to MCA chief Sharad Pawar's letter asking why the IPL final was taken away from Mumbai. While the MCA vice-president Ravi Savant said it will respect all the conditions imposed by the IPL authorities, Biswal clarified that the IPL has not set any riders on the MCA for the June 1 final to be re-allotted to the Wankhede stadium.

"The managing committee has decided to accept all the conditions, including ensuring seating arrangements for all franchise owners. Since a playoff is their match, they can invite whosoever they want. We can't have a say in it. The reply to that effect has been sent to the IPL chairman," Savant said after the MCA managing committee met for the second time in four days after the IPL authorities moved the final from Wankhede Stadium to the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

However, Biswal told ESPNcricinfo that the question of re-allotting the final to Mumbai does not arise.

"Whether I will respond to the MCA letter or not depends on the contents of the letter," Biswal said. "But I can confirm that I had only explained the reasons for which the decision to move the final to Bangalore was taken. We hadn't put any riders in the last letter. Also, so far we have not received any formal request to re-allot the final to Wankhede."

After discussing the issue, the MCA managing committee has decided to put in a formal request to the IPL to not deviate from the tradition of letting the home ground of the defending IPL champions to host the final and not deprive fans in Mumbai from witnessing the marquee clash. "Once we have decided to fulfill all the conditions, we hope that the IPL would bring the final back to Mumbai," Savant said.

In his reply to MCA on May 13, a copy of which is with ESPNcricinfo, Biswal had cited 14 reasons to take the final away from Mumbai. The main reasons cited by Biswal included permission to be given for temporary hospitality structures or removal of seats in the Garware pavilion, 85% parking space to be reserved for the IPL, removal of restriction for any owners of IPL teams including Shah Rukh Khan, permission for sound and fireworks post 10pm until the presentation ceremony is completed and that the cost of police security should be in line with other locations at Rs 15-20 lakh per game (Mumbai police charge Rs 50 lakh per game).

If the final returns to Mumbai, the five-year ban imposed on Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh in May 2012 will have to be done away with. MCA had banned him following a spat with MCA officials after the game between Mumbai and Knight Riders at Wankhede on May 16, 2012.

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SC to announce IPL probe panel on Friday

The Supreme Court is expected to announce on Friday afternoon the committee that will investigate the IPL corruption issue. The order will be read out in open court and there will be no hearing of the case; the next hearing is scheduled for September, after the committee completes its investigation.

At its hearing on April 22, the court had asked Justice Mukul Mudgal, whom it had asked to carry out the original investigation, whether he would continue a more empowered and deeper probe into the matter. The Mudgal Committee report, submitted to the court on February 10, had included a sealed envelope that included the names of 13 people who, the committee said, should be investigated further, and this is what the court's new investigation will do. The committee said the identities of the individuals were not being disclosed because of the nature of the findings against them.

The Mudgal report formed the basis for the court's order on March 25 asking BCCI president N Srinivasan to stand down from his post to ensure a fair investigation. The court confirmed, on April 16, that one of the names in the sealed envelope was Srinivasan's, though it did not specify the context.

In agreeing to continue the investigation, Justice Mudgal listed specific agencies whose assistance he would require. They included the former CBI special director ML Sharma, one senior officer each deputed by the Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai Police, and a former India cricketer "of repute and integrity". He had also asked for further assistance from police authorities, the Sports Integrity Unit of CBI's anti-corruption branch and other departments or agencies of the central and state governments "as required".

The case dates back to June 2013, when the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma raised charges of a conflict of interest in the BCCI's original two-member inquiry panel for the IPL corruption issue. A Bombay High Court ruling later termed the probe panel "illegal". The BCCI and the CAB filed petitions in the Supreme Court against this order, with the CAB contending that the Bombay High Court could have suggested a fresh mechanism to look into the corruption allegations.

The Supreme Court then appointed a three-member committee, headed by former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal and comprising additional solicitor general L Nageswara Rao and Nilay Dutta to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption against Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements, and Rajasthan Royals team owner Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Ltd, as well as with the larger mandate of allegations around betting and spot-fixing in IPL matches and the involvement of players.

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From club to country for captain Morgan

Eoin Morgan will be in England mode next week with the start of the series against Sri Lanka, but first his focus is on helping Middlesex make a double-quick start to the NatWest T20 Blast

The refrain that England's stars have become disconnected from the county game is a familiar one. The start of the season has been a welcome exception and, before England return to the international treadmill, their stars will help to launch the NatWest T20 Blast.

And in the shortest format no current England player rivals Eoin Morgan for star quality. He will lead Middlesex when their T20 season begins against Essex at Lord's on Saturday - and then do the same against Sussex a few hours later. It is the first such double header in county history. "Saturday for us is going to be quite a huge event - not only for ourselves but for English cricket," Morgan said. "I know Middlesex are having a huge push."

The challenge of back-to-back games will be an unusual one, including quickly moving onto the next contest whatever the result of the first. "Going into the second game, we'll already have had a chance to have a bat and a bowl. But does that equalise the fact that we might be a little bit tired? We don't know."

But while Middlesex's T20 campaigns will begin rapidly, the tournament is a slow-burning affair: finals day takes place exactly 100 days after the matches begin. "The idea of the format this year is to get more bums on seats throughout the whole summer, as opposed to it being sporadic," Morgan said.

Other T20 leagues take a very different approach, being completed in a much tighter block and which has left others, including England, playing catch-up. "You could say that the IPL and Big Bash have taken the initiative and sort of raced ahead of most other countries in franchise cricket and they've reaped the rewards for it."

This year, though, the IPL is far from Morgan's mind: it is the first time he has begun the county season in England since 2009. And his county have given him the responsibility of captaining, when England commitments allow, in all limited-overs cricket.

The development feels significant, with uncertainty over the captaincy of the national side in both limited-overs formats - and a shortage of viable successors to Alastair Cook in Tests. Morgan's initial forays into captaincy have been marked by serenity and unusual tactical imagination, perhaps reflecting that he is an essentially self-taught cricketer. Few would argue with Morgan's assessment of his own captaincy: "calm" and capable of "making good decisions under pressure".

With Stuart Broad injured, Morgan will be able to showcase those attributes in the T20 international against Sri Lanka next week having previously led England five times. "The opportunity to captain the side is one that I'm looking forward to."

The expectation is that Morgan could imminently succeed Broad on a permanent basis, whose role is in doubt after disappointing performances in the World T20 tournaments. Morgan says only that "it'll be something that I think of" if offered, while, tellingly, admitting that he "was interested" in the job when Paul Collingwood's reign ended three years ago.

"It's something that I've enjoyed because I've had something to offer," Morgan said, speaking like the unusually self-assured 27-year-old that is. "Guys like Ben Stokes who have come in - I was captain when he debuted and then to watch him come through and play in the Ashes series from afar was awesome to see. You take great pride in awarding someone that - although you only play a minor part you're still involved in it."

For all the bluster about England's "new era", uncertainty provides the backdrop for the international summer ahead. Mushtaq Ahmed and Graham Gooch have already lost their jobs, and the make-up of the new set-up is in flux. "We still haven't got exact clarity on what's going on or who's doing what," Morgan admitted. "The sooner that happens the better, and the calmer and the quicker things can move on."

	David Warner is your typical example - he started in T20, got into the one-day side and the broke into the Test team. And the shots he was playing in the Test matches were unbelievable

In limited-overs cricket, Morgan's blend of calculation and panache make him immune from selectorial uncertainty. But in Tests the picture is rather more complicated. It is clear England have him in mind - Morgan would not have withdrawn from this year's IPL otherwise - and a century against Lancashire was "timely".

Whether that is enough to merit inclusion against Sri Lanka at Lord's on June 12 is a thorny question. Based strictly on first-class pedigree - Morgan averages under 35, and his previous first-class hundred came in August 2011 - he should not even be under consideration. Yet the notion of Morgan replicating his limited-overs brilliance in Tests evidently retains an allure for the selectors.

It has been 830 days since Morgan last played Test cricket. His 16 Tests, thus far, did not end happily: he mustered only 82 runs in six innings against Pakistan in the UAE before beginning ignominiously dumped. "It's professional sport - you're out of form or you're not performing you get dropped." With a middling career average of 30, Morgan did not have enough credit to fall back onto with the selectors: "I don't think it was harsh, looking back on it."

"If I played the series again I might have played a little bit differently. I could have been a lot smarter about how I played," he said. "Since I've played my last Test I'm a better cricketer for the fact that I've played more games and I've made more mistakes." He evidently believes that class transfers between formats, suggesting that Ian Bell could replicate Mahela Jayawardene's success in the shortest format if he returns to England's T20 side.

But it is an Australian that Morgan cites to show that cricketers can thrive in Test matches despite games that seem more suited to the short formats. "David Warner is your typical example - he started in T20, got into the one-day side and then broke into the Test team. And the shots he was playing in the Test matches were unbelievable."

If Morgan is able to imitate Warner's success dovetailing the demands of the three formats of the game, it will leave Ireland lamenting once more that they could have retained his talents. In theory, the ICC's new Test Challenge should help prevent a future Morgan from making the same decision. The reality, with a lack of scheduling space for any new Test nation, may be rather different. "Given the aspirations that I had as a kid, I'd probably still make the move."

Eoin Morgan was speaking at the launch of Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week. On 2-6 June thousands of Chance to Shine schools all over the country will enjoy a week of cricket-themed activities in the classroom and playground. Visit www.chancetoshine.org to find out more.

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Warner to miss Zimbabwe tri-series

David Warner will miss Australia's one-day tour of Zimbabwe in August and September as he and fiancée Candice Falzon prepare for the birth of their first child.

Warner is currently in India for the IPL and after a home Ashes series, a tour of South Africa and a World T20 in Bangladesh, he wrote in a column for Cricket Australia's website that his "batteries are slowly draining". As a result, Warner will enjoy the extra time at home when the team flies out for the tri-series with Zimbabwe and South Africa, although it will be a busy time as he prepares to become a father.

"Candice and I have our baby coming in September, so it's fantastic to be able to have that time off," Warner wrote. "Since Darren Lehmann came on board as coach he's told us all that family comes first, and that's a big thing because we're on the road for a long time. So that any time a major personal matter crops up - whether it's a family member being sick, getting married or having a baby - the exemption is there for you.

"With the World Cup coming up next year and the fact that it's an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, I would normally immediately put my hand up for selection. That's because playing for Australia is what I've always wanted to do since I was a youngster and you never want to miss an opportunity. But that's what happens in life - you settle down, you get married and you have children."

Lehmann said Cricket Australia backed Warner's decision to skip the tour. "We are 100% supportive of David choosing to stay home and await the birth of his first baby," Lehmann said. "It is an important time in anyone's life and I am a firm believer that family comes first."

The tri-series is Australia's first international engagement after a rare winter without touring duties. Their series begins with a match against Zimbabwe in Harare on August 25 and ends in early September. Warner's focus will be to be ready for Australia's series against Pakistan in the UAE in October.

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PCB says six-series deal signed with India

Pakistan says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BCCI to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023. Four of those series will be hosted by Pakistan and the six tours - pending a legal agreement - will include up to 14 Tests, 30 ODIs and 12 T20s.

"We are working on chalking out a detailed FTP for eight years but meanwhile I can confirm that the MoU has been signed with India, according to which we will be playing six series," a top PCB official told ESPNcricinfo. "They will be hosting us twice while Pakistan will host them four times as a part of home series and further modalities will be confirmed later on."

There was no confirmation of this from the BCCI.

The move follows Pakistan's conditional support for the ICC revamp, which hinged on the promise of six series against India, including a 'home' series in the Gulf as part of an upcoming, reworked eight-year FTP cycle from 2015 to 2023. The change in the PCB's stance took place on the condition that Pakistan would be involved in bilateral series against all Full Members, including India. The first of these bilateral series could take place in the UAE in the winter of 2015.

India and Pakistan have not played a full series since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which India blamed on militants based across the border. However, Pakistan visited India for a short limited-over series in December 2012, which was regarded as a stepping stone in reviving cricketing ties between both countries.

The teams last played a full series in 2007, in India. However, despite the latest developments, given the sensitive relationship between the governments of the two countries, a fresh government NOC will be required before each series. India has just completed voting in its general elections with the results out on May 16; the BCCI is unlikely to proceed without the new government's green signal.

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Sangakkara applies sleeper hold to Sussex

Durham 451 for 7 dec. (Sangakkara 159, Borthwick 84) drew with Sussex 505 (Wright 189, Brown 163)
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Watching Kumar Sangakkara make a hundred could never be described as a chore, even though some prefer the more delicate strokeplay of his long-time Sri Lanka batting buddy, Mahela Jayawardene. Sangakkara has a little bit more of the streetfighter about him and, although Hove is perhaps not a cauldron of enmity for visiting opponents, his grit was of material value to Durham as they quietly applied the sleeper hold to Sussex for their fourth draw of the season.

Paul Collingwood, Durham's captain, was happy to allow Sangakkara an extended centre-wicket practice session, having declined Sussex's offer of an innings forfeiture to set up a run chase. That would have meant Durham attempting to get 369 in 96 overs but Collingwood was happy to pursue a few more bonus points and preserve his team's unbeaten record - even if that means the champions remaining uncomfortably close to the bottom of Division One.

Mark Robinson confirmed that Sussex "wanted to have a game" but he was respectful of the polite snub. He was a little more perturbed about not being able to field Chris Jordan for the second match running. Jordan was ruled out of last week's trip to Old Trafford due to his involvement in the Scotland ODI and the ECB asked for him to sit out this match as well due to a concern about over-bowling.

Sussex have back-to-back T20 games at the weekend, before England's players link up again ahead of the Sri Lanka series. Jordan took part in a 2nd XI T20 fixture on Wednesday, specifically to practise his death bowling, and Robinson described him as a rhythm bowler who performs better when he is playing regularly, although he was pragmatic about the situation.

"Peter Moores is the England coach, he's trying to protect an asset, I want my asset playing here to win a game," he said. "The county game needs its best players playing, where possible. At times it won't be possible."

In Robinson's words, Sangakkara was "the biggest winner out of the day". His 159, spread over six hours and many more minutes in the dressing room while the rain fell on Tuesday, was his highest first-class score in England, surpassing two centuries for Warwickshire against Durham in 2007 and 153 in a tour match at Chelmsford three years ago. His only Test hundred in this country also came in 2011, a match-saving 119 in Southampton, and this short-term spell in county cricket has been aimed at improving on a mediocre record here.

He has been keen to express his gratitude to Durham for their part in the deal and the brief time spent sharing knowledge with young team-mates in the dressing room will doubtless have been beneficial. This innings was also the main plank in securing Durham four batting points - though they fell short of the maximum haul during the 11-ball scramble for eight more runs that followed his dismissal.

There was much for a generous-minded crowd to applaud when Sangakkara finally fell on the stroke of tea, reward for Steve Magoffin, who had seen him dropped in the slips on 20 the previous day. Sangakkara had steadily grown in fluency, with his first fifty taking 116 balls (and being completed around 24 hours after his innings began); the next took 76 and the final 55.

Sangakkara now has a few grey strands in among his black tousled hair - perhaps that was why Scott Borthwick referred to him as a "cricket badger" after their century stand on the third day - and this was a wise old knock. Every time he was beaten, or dropped the hands to nullify an edge, he recalibrated his batting senses and got back on with the job at hand. Luke Wright was breezily flicked for six, Ashar Zaidi clubbed a little more ruthlessly over the short, leg-side boundary. His footwork was sure and his striking, for the most part, crisp.

His partnership with Collingwood was worth 144 in less than 30 overs as Durham hit the accelerator after losing Scott Borthwick, for his overnight 84, and Michael Richardson. Collingwood unpacked his boxfresh cover drive again, at one point hitting six boundaries in 11 balls, though he had no regrets about declining Sussex's offer. "I thought it was a bit early in the season to go hunting for victories," he said.

His mood was further improved by the suggestion that Graham Onions' back problem may not be as bad as first feared. He said that the "scans look positive", after Onions' trip to see a specialist, and the seamer could be fit to play again after an injection.

Although the poor weather that sluiced away much of the previous two days was chiefly responsible for condemning this game to a draw, the pitch was a willing accomplice. By the end, Ben Brown was having his first-ever bowl in senior cricket, with Michael Yardy filling in behind the stumps. Without the sight of Sangakkara to enjoy, most joined the surface in nodding off to sleep.

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